Tottenham Hotspur target Weston McKennie was ‘rightly’ substituted for the USA in their draw with Wales.
After just 66 minutes, the Juventus midfielder was taken off for the USMNT and replaced by Brenden Aaronson. Gareth Bale’s late penalty for Wales saw them equalise with the game ending 1-1.
It has been claimed that the midfielder is still wanted by Spurs and could be sacrificed. In addition, reporter Alasdair Gold, stated on his YouTube channel that Spurs Managing Director, Fabio Paratici held talks with McKennie’s representatives in January.
Writing for ‘The18.com’, Conor Fleming had this to say about the 24-year-old’s performance, ‘Weston McKennie: 5/10.
‘Another recipient of a soft yellow, but McKennie’s off-the-ball movement was constant, shifting the Welsh midfield and backline around. However, he wasn’t largely involved, his passing wasn’t quite at his teammates’ level and when Wales took the ascendency in the second-half, McKennie was rightly the first U.S. substitution.’
TIF’s view on Fleming’s comments…
We believe that the performance against Wales wasn’t the best example of what McKennie is capable of. The American has had some strong performances for Juve in recent times against Bologna and Empoli in Serie A.
Spurs do have a couple of really good midfielders in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentacur. However, adding McKennie would improve their options in that department.
Antonio Conte’s side are currently fourth in the league, but they’re eight points behind rivals Arsenal who top the league.
Their recent form heading into the World Cup has left a lot to be desired. Spurs have lost three of their last five Premier League matches.
McKennie, who could be available for £17.1 million, could be a really useful asset for Tottenham. He’s played most of his career in central midfield, or as a defensive midfielder.
As the World Cup progresses, some Spurs fans me be keeping an eye on McKennie. He’s got work to do in their next match against England. The USMNT’s upcoming fixtures could be a chance for the midfielder to showcase his talents.